Lewis and Clark chapter formed

There are several chapters nationwide that inspired Woodlands residents Denton Florian and Steve and Judy Powell to establish the only Lewis and Clark chapter in Texas.

A celebration and introduction was scheduled for Feb. 15 at Montgomery College. If the turnout indicates enough interest, chapter presentations and meetings for the enthusiasts will be held four times a year to discuss the great exploratory efforts of 200 years ago.

Florian said his greatest interest of the 19th century expedition, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and spearheaded by President Thomas Jefferson, is Jefferson's vision — one that Florian describes as way before its time.

"At the time, millions lived 50 miles from the (eastern) coast, but Jefferson is thinking thousands of miles away," Florian said. "A continental empire of liberty."

In 1803, Jefferson received approval from Congress to form the "Corps of Discovery," which would be a historic westward adventure covering 8,000 miles of territory.

The Powells' daughter, 12-year-old Claire, said speakers have compared the Lewis and Clark expedition to the Apollo 13 journey to the moon.

"Both were way over budget while exploring new territory," Claire said.

However, Judy said, this expedition was more difficult because there was no form of communication from the explorers and home base.

Florian said space exploration has an army of scientists communicating to mission control for assistance and remedies.

"We can't imagine the labor and how hard it was to be faced with starvation, cliffs, bears and hostile Indians," Florian said.

During the two-year, four-month trip, records of the land, resources and native people were kept and brought back to Jefferson. The information included the disappointing news that the width of the Rocky Mountains blocked an easy connection between the Missouri and Columbia river systems. Jefferson had hoped the river system would provide an easy connection for trade to help the country compete with the British fur companies.

On Feb. 28, 1803, Congress approved the funds necessary for a team to explore the rivers and inform the western Indian tribes that traders would be buying their furs. Plans of the expedition were almost complete when Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France.

"Even though constitutionally he didn't have the authority to buy the land," Florian said, "he did it anyway. It was a great investment."

With dozens of men, Lewis and Clark headed for uncharted land that was part of the United States, as well as the land further west that was not.

The men exploring with Lewis and Clark were blacksmiths, military personnel and boatmen. Judy said gentlemen's sons and family men were not allowed to take part in the expedition.

Florian said the planning was intense because once they began the exploration, there was no turning back for resources.

"They were out of luck if they had not brought it," Florian said.

In May 1804, the expedition broke camp, using keelboats for transportation. In early November, the team arrived to Mandan Indian villages in present-day North Dakota. The young pregnant Shoshonis Indian woman Sacagawea, who had been kidnapped by plains Indians from her family when she was 13, joined the expedition team to help them communicate with other tribes they would encounter.

Florian said including the woman and her newborn son was equivalent to waving a white flag to tribes because no war party would bring a woman and her baby.

Moving up the river from the Mandan villages, the team encountered grizzly bears for the first time. Florian said the men's single shot rifles fired at a bear three to six times in vital areas, and the bear would still charge.

On July 25, the expedition arrived at a place where the Missouri divided. Sacagawea began to recognize the traditional food-gathering land, as well as other Shoshonis Indians. The explorers formed a camp with the Indians near present-day Dillon, Mont.

The Indian woman was reunited with her brother Cameahwait, who was now the chief of the tribe.

"There wasn't a dry eye in the house," Florian said.

In September, the team marched forward across the Bitterroot Mountains in modern Montana and Idaho. Finally, the expedition reached a village of the Nez Perce, where they ate salmon, roots and berries. However, because it was unlike their usual diets, they became sick.

"They were used to 9 pounds of meat per man," Judy said.

In mid-November, the crew finally reached the sands of the Pacific Ocean, near the mouth of the Columbia River. The team waited in hopes that a ship would reach them via the Pacific Ocean, but there were no ships during their four-month stay.

Then, for the first time in history, a black slave, York, and a woman, Sacagawea, were included in a vote to decide where to spend the winter.

The group elected to cross the river to the south side closest to the ocean. With the Clatsop Indians, the team spent the 1805 and 1806 winter hunting for elk.

In late March, the explorers started their return home in their new Indian canoes, obtaining riding horses along the way. On July 3, the team divided into several groups to explore various portions of the land, including Yellowstone National Park.

The parties reunited in mid-August and the journey ended Sept. 23, 1806.

"They were surprised when the men came into town," Judy said. "They thought that they were dead. No one had seen them, had no word from them."

For more information on the local chapter of the Lewis and Clark Heritage Foundation, call 281-296-8694.